The Family Name
by strangerthings11
Summary: Draco Malfoy is proud to be a Malfoy. He loves the power that comes with that name; the respect it commands, but power like that does not come free of charge. Malfoy pays dearly at the hands of his father, Lucius. Home for Christmas break, will his father's increasing volatility be too much to handle on his own? If so, who can he turn to? Rated M for child abuse, may change.
1. Chapter 1

Christmas break had finally arrived. Draco sighed as he rode the Hogwarts Express towards London. Of course, he would not admit that he missed Hogwarts; he had a reputation to uphold. But as he sat in the train compartment, listening to his fellow Slytherins conspire against some Hufflepuff first-years, he couldn't help but feel…discontented.

Well, of course not upset. He wasn't a wimp.

"Malfoy, is it a plan then?" Crabbe questioned, snapping Malfoy out of his reprieve.

"Sorry, _Crabbe_ , I was far too distracted by the food covering half your face to listen to a single word you said" Malfoy sneered, earning him several smirks from his friends. Crabbe looked embarrassed for a moment, wiping his face as the others snickered around him.

"We were saying," Goyle continued as if nothing had been said "that we should charm the Gryffindors' brooms to dump them off every time they try to get on!"

"Brilliant, but please, enlighten me on how you plan on doing that?"

"Well…" Crabbe said, timidly searching Malfoy's face before continuing to say "we were hoping you would know".

Malfoy sighed before considering how to respond. They really did need him to be the brains of the operation, and he couldn't resist the power they loved to hand to him

"Well since you asked so nicely, I'll see what I can find in father's library" Malfoy allowed a grin to settle upon his face as Crabbe and Goyle high-fived.

His friends continued their animated chatter as Malfoy settled back into thought. He would need something to keep him occupied at home, although his mother paid no attention his father would surely put him to work if he did not seem busy. He shuddered inwardly at the thought. Malfoy loved the power that came with his name; the intimidation the resemblance to his father gave him. At the same time, however, he knew the resemblance to his father stopped at their appearances. He could play the part well, was all. That's what he constantly told himself, anyways.

The Hogwarts Express shrieked to a stop as the train slowed and Platform 9 ¾ came into focus. Malfoy directed his icy blue stare to the train's main exit and grew angrier when he saw all the peppy students excited to spend the holiday with their families. The noise of their excitement began to give Draco a headache and he groaned. He shoved his way out of his compartment, not bothering to look before he stepped out into the hallway, causing several first-years to bump into each other in an attempt to keep their distance. He turned to look at them and raised an eyebrow when they continued to stare back.

"S-s-sorry Draco" one stuttered, upon noticing the look of pure disgust on Malfoy's face.

"Only my friends call me Draco" he corrected, dusting imagined dirt off his coat as if the act of a first-year calling him Draco had literally muddied his clothes, and without a glance back he turned abruptly on his feet and stalked off towards the exit. The first-years stayed glued in their spots until Malfoy was off the train.

Malfoy sighed as the sunlight hit his eyes, unfiltered by a window. He scanned the crowd for his mother before his eyes discovered his father, Draco's luggage in tow. Draco's stomach tied up in knots. Why on earth would his father bother himself by doing something as mundane as picking his child up from school? Draco shook his head slightly to push the thoughts away as he walked towards his father, trying to keep his face neutral.

"Father", Draco said, in lieu of greeting.

The elder Malfoy made no attempt to acknowledge his son aside from flicking his eyes towards him.

"You're late. We need to leave. Now" Lucius said lowly, and swiftly turned and started walking, leaving Draco to carry all his luggage by himself. Draco hurriedly gathered his belongings and rushed after his father.

"I know, father, I'm sorry-"

"What have I told you about apologizing?" his father said sharply.

"Of course, sir. I know," Draco said slowly, keeping his tone even.

"Right. Anyways, I simply do not care what excuse you have, just make sure it does not happen again".

Draco paused for a moment, wondering how his dad had expected him to be any earlier when he got off the train as soon as he could. He shrugged, knowing better than to bring it up.

"Yes sir".

They walked on in this manner, Lucius seemed to glide over the pavement while Draco lagged ever so slightly behind, until they were away from the crowd. Lucius roughly grabbed Draco's wrist, and with a flash and a pop, they had arrived at Malfoy Manner.

There was a house elf waiting. "Take this luggage, I need to speak to Draco".

The house elf grabbed the belongings as fast as she could and struggled to leave the two alone.

Lucius turned on his son. "How DARE you attempt to embarrass me like that?" he fumed.

Draco made no attempt to reply. He knew it was no good; his father would be mad either way.

He was right.

Draco heard it before he felt it: a sharp smack followed by a sting on his cheek.

"Do you know how hard I work to protect this family's reputation? Do you even care? You are so pathetic, Draco, you were practically groveling at my feet at the train station. Malfoys have more respect for themselves. Do I make myself clear?"

Draco did not have the chance to respond before he felt his father's cane connect with his knee and he hit the ground with a solid thud.

"Do I?" Lucius sneered, hatred dripping from his words.

"Yes, sir. It won't happen again."

"Of course, it won't, you fool", Lucius jeered "now go straight to your room. I don't want to see you until supper, and do try to look presentable, Bella will be joining us".

Draco watched his father storm off from his position on the ground, holding his knee tight with both hands. He muttered a healing spell when his father was out of earshot and then slowly rose to a standing position to ensure the spell worked. It had. He rubbed at his face slowly, distractedly wondering if a handprint would be visible. Annoyance masking the worry he felt about being stuck here for two full weeks, Draco shook his leg out and began stalking towards the manor.

 _I_ _t sure is good to be home._

 _ **xXx**_

As Draco approached the looming Malfoy Manner, his mind raced as he tried to process what had just happened. It wasn't that Draco was surprised by his father's violence, in fact, he would have been more surprised if his father had been happy to see him. Lucius had been able to maintain his composure when they were at the train station because he cared too much about his reputation to have people thinking he was some kind of monster. _Although,_ Draco thought to himself, _I'm not sure anyone would call him a monster for how he treats me. I'm Draco Malfoy. It's not like I deserve better._

He sighed when he realized his feet had unwillingly carried him right up to the front door without his noticing. He wished he had somewhere to go, anywhere really, but he knew he could not avoid dinner now that his father had so explicitly told him to be there. Dinner with company usually went one of two ways. Lucius, in an attempt to show off, would harass and belittle Draco to flaunt the power he had. Or, Lucius would put on his best behavior and act politely to impress their guest. Since it was Bellatrix they were dining with, Draco knew better than to hope for the second option.

Inside the manor now, Draco took a moment to appreciate the silence. He had always loved silence. The calm that it brought him was unmistakable. There was something comforting about not being able to hear a single sound even when he strained his ears to. He marveled at how loud his footsteps were in comparison as he slowly climbed the stairs to his room. His echoing footsteps reverberated all around him, and for a moment, he couldn't help but feel small in such a large space. Once he saw the doorway to his room, however, he smiled slightly. He was looking forward to being totally alone for a little while. He quietly slipped inside and closed the door while taking in the sight of his immaculate bedroom.

A large, four-poster bed took up most the room. It was a dark green color that matched the curtains on the expansive window that offered a view of the Malfoys' backyard. Their yard was enormous, full of perfectly kept trees and flowers, and included a stone fountain and several marble busts of past successful relatives that Draco had long since forgotten the names of. Returning his attention to his own room, he opened his mahogany closet doors and admired all his possessions: a brand-new set of wizard's chess, the fastest broomstick money could buy, several dress shirts with dark colored slacks, and an impressive collection of books about medicine, potions, and herbology. If it were up to Draco, he would become an apothecary: mixing his love of potions with his ability to heal. He had learned healing spells ever since his father had begun to physically reprimand him. He would never be allowed to follow these dreams; however, his father would expect him to uphold their family's legacy and continue to be a faithful servant to the Dark Lord. Which he would not do unless his father kept him under the Imperius curse for the rest of his like. _Which honestly,_ Draco thought bitterly, _I wouldn't put the past him._

A timid knock suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Draco slowly approached the door, wondering who it could possibly be, and cracked it open ever so slightly. The house elf from before could be seen warily eyeing Draco and holding something behind her back.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir, but Tiki has something you may be wanting, sir" the house elf said in a rushed squeak.

"Yes, well, what is it?" Draco said somewhat impatiently.

The house elf took her hands from behind her back to reveal two things: an ice pack and a tie. "Master said sir shall be needing this tie for tonight's dinner. And Tiki thought little master might be needing this ice, since she saw earlier when master-"

"That's enough, Tiki" Draco scowled as he roughly grabbed the two objects from her hand before shutting the door and stalking towards his bed. He thoughtfully inspected the tie before bringing the ice pack towards his cheek. The cold stung a little, but after he was over the initial shock, it felt better.

He could not help but feel bad for Tiki. She had just been trying to help Draco, and simply by bringing him the ice, she had endangered herself. But he couldn't show appreciation. Feelings like that made him weak, and more than anything Draco needed to be strong. Ever since Voldemort's return at the end of fourth year, his father had become volatile. Not that his father had ever been overly compassionate, but before, he would keep his distance and correct Draco's behavior when he saw fit. Now, however, even the smallest of things that weren't even Draco's fault could set the man off. Physical punishment almost seemed lenient to the hurled insults and twisted spells Draco had been exposed to over the summer. He had learned months ago that his father would find fault in him no matter what he did, but Draco had to at least try to act his part. Reputation was of the utmost importance to the Malfoys, so by acting like a cold-hearted bastard, he both protected himself from his father and from the concern of others. Forcing himself to think of other things for a while, he drifted off imagining Harry Potter and his loyal followers tumbling off enchanted broomsticks.

 **xXx**

 _ **A/N: Well hi! Thanks for giving this story a(nother) chance. I know this is 95% the same as the previous one published, but new content will be seen starting in chapter 3 (which is already typed, but I'm trying to pace myself lol). As always, let me know what you think and ask if there's anything I can clarify.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: graphic abuse later in the chapter. Please do not continue if violence upsets you.**

Draco woke up slowly at first, and upon realizing it was dark out he rose with a panic. Bellatrix would be here any minute. He flew out of bed and tugged on his dress clothes, a white button down and black slacks, before tying the tie and running his fingers through his hair. He bounded out of his room and took the stairs two at a time, before seeing Bellatrix had already arrived and was chatting animatedly by the door with his parents. He inwardly cursed himself while fighting to keep his expression calm as he approached the door to stand with them. Upon his arrival, the three fell silent and observed him.

"My my, Draco, how very… generous of you to join us" his father drawled, his dislike thinly veiled.

"Don't be silly, Lucius! I am thrilled Draco joined us this evening" Bellatrix exclaimed, and without warning Bellatrix enveloped Draco in a bone crushing hug.

"Good to see you too, Aunt Bella" Draco said sincerely, wincing slightly when she abruptly pulled back.

"What manners the boy has, Cissy. You two should be so proud".

"Indeed, we are, Bella. Did you know that Draco received the highest marks possible on his potions exam?" Narcissa offered conversationally, and with that the two women made their way towards the dining room, Draco and Lucius a few steps behind them.

Before Draco had the chance to apologize, Lucius turned sharply to face him and said "consider this your one and only warning. You better not mess up again or you _will_ be sorry".

Draco gulped. "Yes, sir" he promised, although he knew his father was bound to get mad at him no matter what he did.

Draco trailed behind his father, afraid of what was to come. While he was slightly eased by the animated chatter between Bella and his mother, he couldn't help but let his father's icy words reverberate: _You better not mess up again or you will be sorry_. The four took their seats at a comically large table as the house elves brought out salad and bread. Draco did his best to be quiet and only speak when spoken to. Bread and salad was followed by soup, which was followed by shrimp cocktail, which was followed by pasta, which was followed by filet mignon. Draco could almost see the light at the end of the tunnel; it was almost over. And then dessert happened.

The kitchen doors opened once more with a flourish and four plates of apple pie came into view.

Four timid house elves carried the plates and each brought one to a waiting face at the table. As Tiki set the plate down in front of Bellatrix , she huffed in disgust. "Are you an idiot? This will not do"

"Tiki is being very sorry, mistress, but Tiki is simply serving what others is cooking"

"How DARE you talk back to me in such a manner, you absolute filth. Apologize. Now."

Tiki cowered and tears trailed down her face as she shrieked "Please mistress! Tiki is apologizing, Tiki is being sorry!"

Completely disregarding the house elf's words, Bellatrix turned her attention to Lucius and sneered "are you going to allow your property to treat me in such a way?"

Lucius' head snapped up from staring at his apple pie and the room grew silent.

"Well? Are you?"

"Of course not, Bella" Lucius said, a slow icy smile turning the corners of his mouth up "Tiki, come with me right this instant"

A small, high-pitched noise came from Tiki as she cast a fearful glance to Draco. Draco, however, was focused on not vomiting at that very moment. He fought to keep even breaths. He _knew_ what that smile meant, _knew_ what the words implied, _knew_ what was about to happen. And all he could do was stare down at the food on his plate and try not to have a full-on panic attack at the dinner table. He was useless.

"You know, it's always best to train them when they're young, I'm sure you could trade it in for something…better" Bellatrix said sympathetically to Narcissa, disgust clear in her words.

Narcissa simply nodded, staring after her husband.

"Draco, dear, eat the pie! You're a growing boy, don't let my dislikes stop you" Bellatrix said, and Draco forced a smile in response.

He picked up his fork, slight tremble evident in his fingers, and brought a piece of pie to his mouth. It was warm, with French vanilla ice cream, and Draco could not even find it in himself to enjoy. He turned the food over in his mouth and forced himself to focus on the sensations: warm, cinnamon, apple, vanilla, crust. He needed to focus. To keep it together. _Keep it together, dumbass._

There was suddenly a loud, pained shriek. Draco dropped his fork, although he wasn't sure why, because tortured screams were not an abnormality in the Malfoy house. Neither Narcissa nor Bellatrix showed any sign of noticing. There was another shriek. This one sounded more like a word, more like…a plea.

Draco stood up so fast the table shook. "May I be excused to use the bathroom?"

"Yes, dear" Narcissa said, clearly oblivious to his distress. She always was.

Draco bolted from the room and the shrieks became louder. He realized that the shouts were so loud because Lucius had long ago removed the silencing charm in favor of wanting Draco to learn to muffle his screams. _Not helping, not helping, not helping._ Draco bolted through the foyer, not chancing a glance at the dungeon in case his father had left the door open open, and took the stairs three at a time. He did not slow until he was at his own bathroom. Comforted by his own space, he allowed some of the tension to release from his shoulders. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, sighing as he fought to take slow, even breaths. He walked over to the sink and splashed cold water on his face. _Keep it together, Draco_ he willed himself as he stared levelly into his own eyes. He took a moment to enjoy the stillness, touching the cool stone rim of the sink to keep himself grounded. _Some dirty house-elf's screams shouldn't faze me_. The thought jerked him back to the present and he felt cold and hot simultaneously. He paused for a moment, considering his own reflection in the mirror. _Those aren't my words…those are my father's words._ He shuddered at the realization. He would not be his father. _This is hardly the time for an existential crisis._ He couldn't find it in himself to laugh at his own small attempt at a joke, and decided there was no better time than the present to get back to dinner. Taking a second to fix his hair in the mirror, he opened the door and stepped out. He paused for a moment, but there was no noise to be heard.

Draco slowly walked down the hallway and paced himself as he went down the stairs. He chanced a glance at the dungeon and saw that although the door was open, there was no light on, so he couldn't see past the top step. He briskly walked back towards the dining room and was greeted by the sight of his father sitting in his seat, not a hair out of place, but no sign of Tiki. Draco grew anxious for her.

"—and that's why I don't even bother with the filthy creatures. After you provide them food and a place to live they still have the audacity to mouth off. Disgusting half-wits" Bella sneered.

"I agree, Bella, but let's not spoil any more of this dinner with talk of it" Lucius said, waving a hand dismissively.

Draco took his seat and tried not to draw any more attention to himself. As the adults continued to talk he pushed the remaining apple pie around on his plate. He flattened it then spread it out, noticing that Bellatrix had a fresh piece of lemon meringue pie, her favorite, with a sole bite taken from it. Draco couldn't help but wince. Tiki had endured so much for that one bite.

"Quit playing with your food, boy, it's disrespectful and bothersome to those of us trying to converse" Lucius snapped suddenly.

"S-sorry, sir"

"Itty-bitty Draco is afraid of you, Lucius! Maybe he's afraid you'll dispose of him like you did that wretched servant"

 _Dispose._ Draco's heart hit the floor in a matter of seconds and before he thought better of it he blurted out "Disposed of Tiki?"

"Draco, I must have heard you wrong, for it sounds like you just questioned my authority in my own house".

Draco paused. _What? That's not what I said at all. He's twisting my words._

"No, sir, of course not, I was just-"

"Caring for some filthy animal more than your aunt's happiness?"

The tension was so thick it could have been sliced with a butter knife. Bellatrix looked like she was enjoying it.

"No, sir, please-"

"Please forgive you for caring about some lowly servant? I wish I could, Draco, but I think I need to make sure you have learned your lesson first. We wouldn't want you to make that same humiliating mistake again, now would we?"

Any possible response Draco had was wiped away in a matter of seconds.

"Narcissa, please kindly see Bella out when she is done enjoying her dessert, Draco and I need to have a little chat in the other room"

Narcissa nodded wordlessly while Bellatrix's eyebrow was still raised in amusement at the conversation. Draco wondered if she knew. _If she did,_ he thought bitterly, _she's probably too sadistic to see an issue with it._

Draco stood up slowly, pushed in his chair, and followed Lucius out of the room. His brain screamed at him to stop, to turn around and _beg_ his mother to protect him. But the more rational part, the part that was beat down beyond hope, knew there was nothing that could stop the impending explosion. It was this thinking that allowed him to put one foot in front of another as he descended the dungeon stairs after his father. That, and the thought that he might be able to see Tiki.

The stairs ended in blackness until Lucius pulled the string that switched on the lightbulb. Stone walls, stone floor, and no windows all dimly illuminated by the one lone lightbulb. There were several chains on the walls. A closet with the door shut was to the left of the stairs, an old bucket and sponge that sat atop a drain in the far corner, and the damp cold immediately chilled him to the bone. Draco scanned the room quickly for a sign of Tiki and saw nothing. He gulped. Draco had no good memories tied to this room even though he was more than familiar with it.

"Well?" Lucius asked expectantly, and Draco realized it was his cue.

"Father, I am so sorry for my words and actions, it was not my intention to embarrass you in front of mother and Bella."

"That's the problem, Draco. You never think."

"I know, sir."

"You're stupid. You're worthless and pathetic and if you weren't my only child I would have disowned you by now."

"Yes, sir".

"I've tried so hard to raise you right and you just won't listen. You do this to yourself, Draco. You realize that. This is all your fault. I don't like to hurt you, but it's for your own good."

"Of course, sir."

"Now tell me. What exactly did you do wrong."

Draco felt panic rise "I-I inquired about Tiki—"

 _Smack._ The force knocked Draco to the ground and he can't help but reach out a hand to cup his cheek instinctively.

"Do not use its name".

Draco choked down a sob and started again, not bothering to stand up "I inquired about…about the filthy servant's well-being"

Lucius nodded in approval. "And why is that wrong?"

Draco paused for a second as the thought crossed his mind. _Why was it wrong?_ Lucius felt the hesitation and kicked Draco in the gut. Draco gasped audibly, not expecting the pain.

"Malfoys. Do. Not. Care. About. Anyone's. Well-being. But. Their. Own." Lucius growled, each word punctuated by a kick.

Draco, seeing spots, repeated his father without a second thought. "Malfoys do not…do not care about any-anyone's well-being but…but their own", he moaned, breathing heavily and fighting the urge to vomit again.

"Very good, Draco" Lucius drawled, and although Draco couldn't find the energy to look at him he was sure Lucius was smiling. "Now give me your belt".

Draco wordlessly took off his belt and handed it to his father, then positioned himself so he was on all fours.

"Take off your shirt"

Draco shuddered as he did, his stomach screaming in pain.

"How many lashes is fair, Draco?"

Draco hated this. He didn't want it to be his decision, his father did this so he felt responsible.

"Um…20, sir?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

"20, sir".

"I would've said less, but it is obviously your decision."

Draco fought the urge to vomit for the third time that night, and before he could even prepare himself, the blows started.

 _One. Two. Three. Four._

Draco's back stung and he hissed through clenched teeth.

 _Five. Six. Seven._

Draco hadn't realized he was crying until he saw his tears hit the floor.

 _Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven._

White hot pain radiated through his whole being and Draco's vision swam.

 _Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen._

Draco's arms gave out and he fell forward.

"You earned yourself an extra three lashes" _eighteen_ "Do it again and I'll start over".

Draco focused all his effort into pushing himself up off the ground.

 _Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-one._

Draco didn't remember a time when his body didn't hurt.

 _Twenty-two. Twenty-three._

He could no longer feel the pain, he realized suddenly. It was as if he was completely disconnected from his own body; watching from a distance. Draco held his stance, unmoving, not even realizing the punishment was over.

"Good boy, Draco. Clean up this mess by hand, so you don't forget any time soon. Once it's spotless, you may go directly to your room."

"Okay, sir".

Lucius paused, as if expecting something else, and it suddenly dawned on Draco that Lucius wanted a thank you.

"Thank you, sir, for teaching me such an important lesson".

"Of course, Draco, any time" Lucius said, and with that he heard Lucius ascend the stairs and then slam the door. The sound released Draco from his position and he fell to the ground, suddenly realizing that there was blood. _His blood._

Draco attempted to stand to retrieve the sponge and bucket but his legs failed him and he fell to the ground. Through the fog in his mind he was able to mutter a summoning charm and got to work cleaning before the blood dried. It was always harder to clean once dried. Muttering another spell to fill the bucket with water, he got to work scrubbing. He could use a cleaning charm, but his father told him to clean it by hand and he didn't dare disobey even when his father was nowhere to be seen. Draco scrubbed until his hands and knees were raw and until there was not a speck of blood to be seen. With newfound strength, he returned the sponge and bucket to their corner, dumping the bucket down the drain he assumed had been meant for sewage at one point and time. Once the dungeon looked as it had before Lucius had begun his punishment Draco finally felt safe enough to go to bed. He ascended the stairs without a thought and slowly cracked the door open to make sure no one was around, and then he ran all the way from the dungeon to his bedroom, adrenaline guiding his messy steps. Once in the relative safety of his room Draco collapsed onto his bed, all adrenaline gone, and within minutes he was fast asleep.

A/N: Thanks again for reading and the reviews! I decided that I should post this for now, so people can get a better sense of what to expect, and from now on I will be updating roughly once a week unless I find myself with an abundance of free time. Next chapter is when things become new, I'm excited for you guys to see it. Give me your questions, comments, and concerns!


	3. Chapter 3

Draco awoke, and for a moment, was convinced he was dead. He silently scolded himself for not performing healing spells last night to avoid the stiffness. He knew he could not heal himself fully; Lucius would be furious if his marks disappeared so quickly. The ones that were covered by clothing, however, could have been healed.

He shifted pillows behind him to prop himself into a sitting position. He quickly set about feeling his ribs, and healed three broken ones, before muttering a spell to aid in the scabbing on his back. He brought his fingers to his face for a moment, and felt a gash with some bruising. _Father will be pleased._ He took a deep breath before finding the strength to stand and let out a groan. _I'd kill for a painkiller._

Slowly but surely, Draco made his way to his bathroom and let out another involuntary groan at the sight that lay before him. His hair lay matted with blood and there was a cut above his eyebrow opposite of the gash he had felt earlier. He hadn't realized before now, but he had fallen asleep in last night's clothes, so he stared at himself in a shredded white button down and blood-encrusted black slacks. He shuddered as the events of the last night came rushing back to him. Assessing injuries one by one was easy; impersonal, factual. Taking in his whole disheveled appearance made him feel…weak. _Poor father's special tie has gone missing_ he thought in an attempt to distract himself. He tore off the clothes without another thought and jumped into the shower. Hissing as the hot water hit his back, he turned to face it. Grabbing shampoo off a shelf, he slowly worked it through his hair to wash the blood away. He glanced down and watch the red water spiral down the drain, satisfied. He grabbed a loofah and began to wash his front half, careful around the bruised areas. Several minutes later he finished, placing the loofah back on its hook. Gritting his teeth, he turned so that his back faced the water. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt pain radiate from his back. He stood there, feeling and thinking of nothing but the pain, until he couldn't stand it for a second longer. He turned off the water and sighed at the relief it brought him. He reached outside the shower and grabbed the towel he always kept there. Gingerly, he toweled off as much as he could stand it before stepping out of the shower with his towel wrapped around him.

He was greeted by several oddities. His discarded clothes were nowhere to be seen, which he expected, but someone had set out clothes for the day. Secondly, there was a jar of scar salve, to prevent scarring, white bandages, and some unidentifiable liquid in a steaming mug. Draco surveyed the scene, face impassive, until his eyes settled on his last surprise.

"Tiki?"

"Oh little Master, sir, Tiki did not mean to upset youse by bringing these things—"

Draco wasn't even listening. He was too busy trying to sort through his whirling emotions: surprise, shock, annoyance…relief?

"Tiki, stop."

Tiki's eyes widened as she stopped talking. Draco regarded her for a second, struggling, before he sighed.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked.

If it were possible, Tiki's eyes widened further. "Tiki doesn't understand, sir."

"I know my father, Tiki. Don't bother pretending."

Tiki sighed, clearly uncomfortable, and began wringing her hands. "Master Malfoy was only doing his job teaching Tiki to not be so rude and disrespectful, disgracing his-"

Draco couldn't help but cringe again, realizing those were the same words his father liked to use against him. Hatred raised the hairs on the back of his neck, but there was no discernable change to his expression.

"Family name," he finished for her. "I know his speech. What I mean is, are you injured?"

Tiki shook her head no, "I was, little Master, but Tiki used her magic to heal her injuries," she said, but with no response, she continued bravely "Tiki was noticing last night that little sir was hurt, and Tiki felt so bad she just had to try and help so she waited until youse got in the shower and gathered some things…"

Draco wasn't sure how to react. He wanted to be disgusted with needing help, but he couldn't help but feel overwhelming gratitude to this small elf that had once again risked her safety for him. He had been more careful over the summer because he had been worried his mother would discover his father's behavior. He realized in the very last days of summer, however, that she did not care. Tiki was willing to do more for him than his own mother.

He shook his head slightly, "Well…thanks." He would've liked to say more, but his pride wouldn't allow him.

That was all the little elf required, however, as she beamed up at him happily.

"Little master does not need to be thanking Tiki, but she was happy to help!"

Draco allowed a small smile to grace his features for a second, schooling his features as he said "just promise me you'll stay safe."

Tiki beamed again as she processed Draco's concern for her well-being. She nodded vigorously and disappeared with a small pop.

Draco, now alone, allowed the small smile back. He couldn't remember the last time someone had cared for him, nevermind going out of their way for him. With these thoughts keeping him company, he drank the steaming mug, not questioning the elf, and felt all the stiffness melt away. It was a miracle. Feeling infinitely better, Draco applied the salve to his back and layered bandages onto it. Satisfied that the worst of his injuries were taken care of for the time being, he slipped on the dark jeans and grey t-shirt Tiki had set out and left the bathroom feeling halfway decent.

As he made his way down the stairs, Draco strained to hear if his parents were around. Determining the kitchen sounded empty, he strode in and surveyed the room. He only ever came into the kitchen for breakfast or to grab a quick lunch; dinner was almost always a family affair and was served in the dining room. Glancing at the gleaming stainless-steel appliances, which Draco had never had to learn how to use, he made his way towards the island that held a breakfast plate with a stasis charm. He pulled up a chair and ate quickly, the well-prepared toast, eggs, and home fries hardly registering as his thoughts were otherwise occupied.

 _I wonder what will happen when I run into father next. He could pretend nothing happened, expecting me to do the same. Or he could brag about how well he's teaching me, expecting me to do the same. There's really no way around it, so I might as well play this by ear. Maybe mother will comment._ He laughed quietly to himself at that. _That would require her to act like her own person instead of father's puppet._

Finishing his breakfast, Draco decided the best way to spend his day would be in the Malfoys' potions lab. He needed to brew some more dreamless sleep to bring back to school. Standing and leaving the dirty plate where it sat, Draco walked out of the room and towards the potions lab. He ran into no one on the way there, thankfully, and realized when he reached the big mahogany doors that he had been holding his breath. Opening the doors, and shutting them behind him, made him feel much lighter.

The potions lab was impressive, to say the least. Shelves lined 3 of the walls all the way up to the ceiling, filled with every sort of ingredient one could need, most of them legal. The fourth wall, which he currently faced, held a door to the storeroom, which Draco never dared to touch should his father blame him for something missing. He shuddered to himself. _This is my space, father wouldn't hurt me here._ He didn't know if he really believed that, but it didn't hurt to try.

Gathering the ingredients off the shelves, he had long ago memorized what was needed for a dreamless sleep potion, he set to work crushing the wormwood. He allowed himself to think of nothing in particular as he let his hands work. Potions brought a sense of calm over him that was quite welcome after a night with his father. _Most people use alcohol to solve that issue._ He smiled again wishing it were possible for him to brew firewhiskey. He didn't dare to drink it at home, being inebriated near his father was asking for death, but he would get drunk with his so-called friends every now and then at school. He didn't see the big deal, he was 15 years old, and alcoholism was the least of his worries. He'd sooner die due to blunt force trauma.

The deep purple of his potion caught his attention, and he poured it off into smaller vials before capping them and starting again. By the time he had brewed 3 batches, he guessed it was nearly time for dinner, so he stored the completed potion on an empty ingredient shelf he had long ago decided was his own and set off for his room to change into more formal clothes for dinner.

Ten feet away from his room, his mother stopped him to tell him dinner would be served in 10 minutes, and that he better not be late. Draco heard the warning in her words and covered the distance to his room in seconds, throwing the door open and changing into grey slacks and a white button down. He noticed his ripped shirt had been replaced and that his black slacks looked as good as new. He wondered briefly if he had Tiki to thank before walking briskly from his room down to the dining room. His mother was already seated, glass of red wine in hand, but his father was nowhere in sight.

Draco sat down, and Narcissa said "he's finishing up a meeting, but told us to start without him."

Draco nodded, unsurprised; his father was almost always late even though he tolerated tardiness from no one. He took his seat and within seconds food appeared in front of both him and his mother; lambchops and string beans. They ate in silence, until his father walked in 15 minutes after they began eating. He nodded to his mother before turning his eyes to Draco, and Draco got goosebumps as he saw the corner of Lucius' mouth twitch up at the sight of Draco's injured face. _I knew that would please the bastard._ Tiki brought out Lucius' food, keeping her eyes down and her ears flat to her head the whole time. Draco didn't move a muscle, praying his father had no cause to pick a fight tonight. Thankfully, she made it away unscathed and Draco practically cheered before quickly scolding himself. _I can't afford to care about her. He'll use it against me and I already have enough weaknesses._ Anxiety turned his stomach suddenly and Draco felt his hands begin to tremble against his will. Cursing himself, he tried to take exaggeratedly slow breaths without drawing attention to himself. Since his parents only noticed him when it suited them, it worked. Confident he could pick up his fork again, he continued eating, as Lucius decided to turn his attention to him.

"So, Draco, in what horribly unproductive way did you keep yourself out of your mother's way today?"

Face void of any expression, Draco simply responded, "Brewing."

"Ah, I see," his father said, although his eyes held a glint of something sinister, "Brewing something useful I hope?"

"Dreamless sleep."

"Why on earth would you need dreamless sleep, Draco?" Lucius purred.

Draco felt a blush creeping up to his cheeks, but continued to keep any emotion off his face. "It's not-"

"I'll have no son of mine using potions to cover up his problems. Face them like a Malfoy."

"It's not for me," Draco said, having an idea, "it's for Pansy." Draco knew his parents liked her.

"Oh, Pansy! How has she been?" his mother jumped in, ever curious about potential gossip.

So Draco appeased her, giving her seemingly trivial details about his interactions with Pansy. He could feel Lucius' cold stare on him, but chose to ignore it, giving his attention solely to his mother. Dinner passed quickly in this fashion, and Draco was grateful for it. Before he knew it, he was scraping the last of his tiramisu off his plate and his mother was talking to Lucius about Bellatrix's issues with Rodolphus. Seeing it as an opportunity, Draco asked to be excused and his mother simply nodded in his direction. Standing, Draco turned to leave but before he could bolt out the door his father's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"If it's not too much to ask, Draco, I was hoping you'd be so kind as to head to my study after dinner. There are a few things we need to discuss in relation to the rest of Christmas break."

Draco turned and managed to choke out a "yes, sir," before bolting from the room, needing a minute to collect himself. Being brought to the dungeon was one thing; untold physical injuries occurred there, and not just against Draco. His father's study was a whole other beast. Lucius Malfoy was a wizard, and as he so often liked to remind Draco, he did not need to strike the younger Malfoy to cause pain. As a former Death Eater Lucius had a slew of dark spells at his disposal and Draco knew firsthand that Lucius had no issue using the Unforgivable Curses against his son. Shuddering at this thought, he rolled his shoulders twice, popped his knuckles, and walked as confidently as he could towards Lucius Malfoy's study.

 **xXx**

Sitting anxiously in his father's study, Malfoy's mind raced with every possible scenario that could play out. _He's only ever punished me to teach a lesson. I can't think of anything I've done wrong._ A small voice in Draco's head told him his father was beyond reason, and that if he didn't have a reason he could create one, but Draco didn't encourage it.He did decide, however, that there was no use guessing. His father was as unpredictable as they come. He would just have to hope that he could endure whatever it was his father was planning on throwing at him. _I mean that strictly in the metaphorical sense, if there's a god listening._

Before Draco had time to wonder if he'd lost his mind, Lucius swept into the room. Without turning around he cast a locking spell at the door and settled into the chair behind his desk, completely at ease.

"Now, Draco, do you know why you're here?"

Draco hesitated before answering, deciding it would be worse to lie. "No, sir."

"Hmm. I'd always had high hopes for you, as my only son. It's terrible you have turned out to be so…utterly disappointing."

Draco hated the feeling of hurt that rushed through him. _I don't care what the bastard thinks of me._

"I understand, sir."

"I don't think you do. Not yet, anyways. But I am a very patient man, Draco, and your mother and I have decided that I should help you before you become a complete disgrace to the family name."

Draco looked up quickly, but stayed quiet.

"Of course, if you think yourself above my help…"

Draco wanted to scream that he was. He wanted to bolt from the room, from the Manor, and never look back. But he was weak, and his father knew this.

"No, sir, I need your help."

"Excellent," Lucius purred, a sadistic smiling twisting his features. Draco felt his blood run cold.

"First, let us… establish a few points."

"How do we feel about wizards or witches born to non-magical parents, Draco?"

There was no thought required for this answer; it had been drilled into him since he was old enough to talk. Hating how much he sounded like his father, Draco recited, "Mudbloods are a filthy breed who should not be allowed to fraternize or coexist with true witches and wizards."

"Very good, Draco. Now tell me, what do mudbloods deserve?"

This was a strange question to Draco; he wasn't sure what his father was getting at. "Well they certainly don't deserve our respect, or our time, or even recognition as magical beings."

"So, in your own opinion, they are not worth kindness or decency?"

Draco swallowed hard. _Are those really my opinions?_ "No, sir, they are not."

"Well done. We will begin in the dungeons. Follow me."

 _Where the hell is this leading?_

 **A/N: Hi again! I'm going on vacation for a long weekend so I figured I would update before I left. Thanks for all your support!**


	4. Chapter 4

Feeling like he could vomit, Draco didn't dare hesitate as he practically leapt out of the chair he had been seated in. He was terrified of where this would lead next. Wordlessly, he trailed his father down to the dungeon as his stomach tied itself up in knots. His anxiety was not eased in the slightest as they descended the stairs and his father made no move to turn on the light.

"Now remember Draco," he said, with a hint of something Draco could not identify in his voice, "You said it yourself. They deserve it.

As the lights turned on, four things occurred to Draco simultaneously.

 _One: there is a mudblood down here._

 _Two: father intends on torturing her._

 _Three: father wants me to torture her._

 _Four: that was excitement in his voice._

Thought five occurred to Draco a few agonizing seconds after his eyes adjusted to the light: _I think I'm going to be sick._

Clenching his fists and pressing his mouth into a thin line, Draco tried to ignore the limp witch chained to the wall and the churning of his stomach. With a great deal of effort, he turned his head and stared directly into the cold eyes of Lucius Malfoy.

"Now, Draco, it's not that I don't believe your disgust towards mudbloods, but you know what they say: an unforgivable curse is worth a thousand words."

 _I don't think any sane wizard in the history of magic has ever uttered such a phrase._ Draco just nodded, not trusting his voice.

"Rennervate," Lucius spoke as he simultaneously lifted his wand and pointed it at the girl with a flash of red light.

She awoke slowly, but soon her eyes were alight with terror.

"This abomination," Lucius spat, as if the girl was not staring wide-eyed at the pair, "is being borrowed. I have promised to return her alive, but I am still paying quite the price for her."

Draco just continued to stare at this father.

"Most people say thank you when presented with a gift, Draco."

"Th-thank you, sir."

Lucius glared hard at his son. "Malfoys don't stutter, Draco. It is a sign of weakness. Control yourself."

Almost in a state of shock, all Draco could do was nod again, and his father huffed in annoyance.

"Anyways. I felt that the best way to begin your, shall we saw etiquette training, was to make sure you understood the superiority a pure-blood has. See, watch what happens when you cast crucio on a mudblood."

A flick of Lucius' wand had the girl writhing on the ground. Tortured screams filled the emptiness, and Draco could not even form a coherent thought as he examined the agony etched into every one of the girl's features. Lucius held the spell for about 8 seconds, but did not stop out of pity.

"Now, watch what happens when cast on a pureblood."

Draco didn't even have time to process what Lucius' words meant before the spell hit him. _I'm on fire. I'm being electrocuted. Someone's pouring boiling water directly onto my brain. Maybe this is what dying feels like…I hope I am dying. Whatever it takes for this to end._ The spell stopped abruptly, and all Draco could do was breathe heavily as he fought the urge to burst into tears and vomit violently at the same time. Slowly pushing himself up, _I don't remember falling_ , Draco regarded his father coldly as his point dawned on him. Although he had bit straight through his lip, he had not screamed. He didn't feel the need to point out to his father that he was only able to accomplish that due to the extensive training sessions they had had over summer break.

"Very good, Draco!" Lucius exclaimed, clearly overjoyed that his son had performed exactly as Lucius had anticipated. "Pure-bloods are stronger than mudbloods. They're pathetic excuses for magical beings. Now, Draco, your turn."

Draco's jaw actually dropped.

"Do it now, Draco, or I will…to you."

 _What kind of an impossible decision was that? I don't want to torture anyone, no matter their blood type._

"I see. Well if that's how you want to play it…"

The curse hit Draco and he hit the ground with a dull thud. Still making no noise, his mouth was open in a silent scream as he endured the curse for 4 additional seconds.

Pulling Draco roughly to his feet, Lucius gave him the choice again. Draco's mind was too fogged with fatigue to formulate an answer fast enough for his father. This time, however, his father just shoved him roughly into the wall.

"If you're too stupid to realize what needs to be done on your own, please, let me help you."

Before Draco even knew what was going on, a whispered spell hit him.

 _I can't remember the last time I felt so happy. So carefree. I feel like I am floating and nothing could possibly bring me back down to earth._

Draco allowed the mindless bliss to fill him, none the wiser, when a different voice filled his head: **cast the cruciatus curse on that girl.**

Draco merely sighed in answer, a slight smile on his lips. He didn't notice the strong resemblance the voice had to his father's. The voice urged on: **do it, Draco, cast the cruciatus curse on the filthy mudblood.**

Unable to come up with a reason why he shouldn't, Draco pointed his wand at the girl the voice had mentioned and uttered "Crucio!"

The girl began to scream, but Draco was far away from the noise. His head was filled with a blissful humming and he stayed ignorant to her shouts.

 **Again, Draco, she deserves it.**

 _Well, if you say so._ "Crucio!"

This time a spell hit him as well, and as all the mindlessness flooded out of him, Draco was forced to endure the tortured wailing. With dread, he realized that he was the source of her misery. Feeling like the joy he had felt seconds ago was from a past life, Draco abruptly turned away from the girl and begun to vomit. He heard his father chuckle in response to Draco's disgust.

"Now, now, Draco, deep down you wanted to punish her for being a mudblood. Otherwise, you never would have complied to cast the curse."

Too numb to feel rage at his father's words, Draco turned around to face the man, but said nothing in response. His mind was racing, yet he couldn't think of any one thing.

"You have made progress tonight, Draco. In time, I am sure you will disgrace the Malfoy name less and less. Now, clean this up and you're free to spend the night as you wish."

Draco wasn't even aware his father had left until the girl began to stir. She took several ragged breaths before turning her gaze to Draco, defiance shining in her eyes once she noticed the elder Malfoy was no longer there.

"You know," she rasped, voice hoarse from screaming, "I believe it's proper etiquette to learn a girl's name before you torture her."

Draco just stared dumbly. Without his father's chilling stare, he took the chance to examine her. She appeared to be about his age, maybe younger. _I suppose the cruciatus curse ages one._ Tangled black hair reached her shoulders and brown eyes regarded him just as shrewdly. Her skin was pale, too pale, with freckles littering her features. She couldn't have been more than 5'2".

"I'm Skyler," she offered, pretending he had asked, "and I assume you are Draco?"

Draco normally would have been appalled that someone with her blood status would attempt to converse with him. Given the circumstances, however, this was no normal conversation.

"Yes, I am," he finally said.

She nodded in response, but offered nothing more.

Not able to curb his curiosity, he looked her over once more before asking, "Why are you here?"

"My family owes your father money."

Draco's eyebrows shot up, "your father is selling you to mine?"

Skyler immediately shrugged him off, "it's not so bad."

"You can't actually expect me to believe that."

Dusting herself off, Skyler stood as she regarded Draco coolly; "Oh, right, I forgot you were in the position to give advice here. Having your father cast Unforgivables on you and shove you into walls is just peachy, isn't it?"

Draco whipped out his wand and pointed it between her eyes, "you know _nothing_ ; don't mistake my dislike of my father for a tolerance of you."

Draco saw the reality of the situation dawn on Skyler as she slowly backed away from him, chains rustling. He now noticed the slight tremble that shook her whole body and the way her eyes didn't settle on one point for too long. _I'm antagonizing a girl I tortured ten minutes ago._

"Look…just forget it. I'm taking things out on you."

Skyler pursed her lips and nodded. Frustrated with the whole situation, Draco had no idea how to proceed. He couldn't be friendly, but he couldn't find it in himself to be rude. Procrastinating speaking again, he turned and summoned the bucket and sponge he had become so familiar with. He conjured soapy water and began scrubbing the floor, aware that brown eyes were following his every move. The only sounds in the dungeon were his scrubbing for several minutes. Eventually, however, Skyler cleared her throat, the silence and distance giving her courage. Draco made no move to acknowledge her.

"You're a wizard, you know," she said to his back, and when he still didn't respond, she continued, "so why are you cleaning by hand?"

Draco stiffened. "You ask a lot of questions for someone chained to a wall." _Damnit. What is wrong with me?_

To his complete shock, Skyler snorted.

 _Maybe she was under the cruciatus curse for one second too long. I think she's lost it._

He turned to face her, eyebrow raised in disbelief. She was studying him with a smirk. Something in her face made him feel sympathetic. _We both have seen too much shit for our age and have upstanding citizens for fathers, clearly._ Draco decided he needed to help her out, to soothe his own conscience, but also didn't want to do something she could exploit him for.

"Has my father fed you yet?"

She shook her head slightly, but said nothing.

Draco called for Tiki and she appeared with a small pop.

"Oh little master Tiki is relieved that youse is alright!"

Something unreadable passed over Skyler's face, so Draco chose to not acknowledge it. "Tiki, would you bring down two sandwiches?"

Tiki squeaked uncomfortably before looking down and admitting, "Master has told Tiki not to be serving the young lady."

"Let's just say they're both for me, alright? Bring down some water too."

Tiki nodded in approval and disappeared as quickly as she appeared. Before Draco had a chance to observe the impact that conversation had had on the girl, she was already opening her mouth to speak.

"Look, Draco, I really appreciate what you're doing but I'm not asking you to risk your father's wrath…especially since we've both been on the receiving end in the last hour."

Draco brushed her concern aside, "you're not asking, so don't apologize. Besides, Tiki won't tell my father, and I'm assuming you won't either?"

The snort was back. "No, Draco, I'd say your secret is safe with me."

Draco nodded slightly, and Tiki reappeared with two sandwiches and a water bottle.

"Thanks, Tiki," Draco said sincerely.

Tiki beamed and popped away, leaving the two alone. Draco handed her a sandwich, and raised the water bottle halfway to his lips before sideyeing her, daring her to protest him drinking straight from the bottle.

"Draco, I am chained to the wall of a family I don't even know, germs are the least of my worries."

Draco smirked slightly, "so if you knew the family you would reevaluate how bad this situation is?"

He raised his eyes to see a smirk of her own form before taking several sips and tossing the water bottle towards her. They ate in silence, although it wasn't awkward, and Draco could not express how thankful he was for that. He finished a few minutes later and turned to put the bucket and sponge in its usual corner. When he turned to face her, his face held none of its earlier amusement.

"I'm warning you; I can't go against my father. I don't look forward to our next meeting down here, but, tell him any of this happened, and I'll deny it all. Even though he does not have the highest opinion of me, you can be sure he will believe me over—"

"A mudblood?" Skyler spat.

"I was going to say a prisoner in his own house," Draco growled, "but have it your way. A mudblood. You would be wise to take this warning seriously; my father is not to be underestimated."

"I think I've seen what he's capable of."

"Funny," Draco said with no sense of humor in his voice whatsoever, "I didn't take you for a fool. You have been here one night only. Don't think he'll let you off so easy next time."

"You call being tortured easy?"

Draco snatched the water bottle from her, which only had a few sips left, before fixing her with his iciest stare. "You have not been within an inch of your life _begging_ him to kill you to spare yourself the pain of continuing. You know _nothing_."

Draco saw her eyes widen, although she was attempting not to give him a reaction, and felt satisfied that his point had suck in. _It's for her own good; if she doesn't have the right expectations he will kill her._

"Got it," Skyler responded stiffly, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation.

Draco nodded slightly before turning to leave, and was halfway up the stairs when he heard her say, "I'm not the weak one. You're the puppet."

Draco froze, and without thinking, sent a hex hurtling over his shoulder. She yelped at the unexpected sting and he could hear the chains rustle as she moved as far away as she could from him. He wanted to feel smug, or even satisfied, but instead he was overwhelmed by a different emotion: disgust. He ran from the basement and towards his room without another thought.

 **xXx**

Draco didn't dare to slow down until he was in his bathroom with the door locked behind him. He felt anxiety tearing his stomach to shreds as his heart beat picked up and a cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He splashed cold water on his face over and over, as if he was trying to wake himself from a dream. _I'm not escaping this nightmare so easily._ Once he was no longer in danger of hyperventilating, he thought back to what had just happened.

 _She deserved it. She antagonized me, knowing her situation, knowing I had tortured her not an hour before._

 _Maybe_ , a more rational part of him spoke up, _she was lashing out because of the helplessness of her situation._

 _I don't need a lesson in psychology right now. Besides, it's not like I'm in control of the situation either._

 _She doesn't know that. Besides, you can control how you treat her._

Draco needed an outlet for his frustration before he completely lost control, but as he punched the mirror, he realized that wasn't the right one; hissing immediately as glass rained down. He needed to get his impulsivity under control.

 _Maybe temporary insanity really is brought on by the Cruciatus Curse._

 _Don't blame your father for your own stupidity._

Upon realizing he was talking to himself on top of everything else, Draco almost laughed. Not only had his father kidnapped a mudblood to test Unforgiveables on, he had also used Draco, and that same girl had talked to Draco as if they had been friends for years instead of one of them being a chained-up prisoner.

 _I can't handle this for another second today._

Draco decided he had no major injuries he needed to fix, quickly changed into pajamas, and fell onto his bed. Even though his mind raced with the day's events, his body ached with exhaustion, and quickly beat out his tired mind as sleep overtook him.

A/N: Hi all, I rewrote this a few times (so please excuse any typos) because I felt like I couldn't get it quite right. I'm still not entirely happy, but that's life I suppose. Please let me know what you think :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning:** panic attack later in the chapter, don't read if you think it'll upset you

 _Draco was at a long, dark table with a dozen darkly hooded figures. At the head of the table was something not quite human, a grotesque figure with pale skin stretched across its sharp features and chilling red eyes: Voldemort. The sight made Draco shiver involuntarily. Forcing himself to keep his eyes moving, Draco noticed his father directly to the Dark Lord's left. Draco felt like he had been here before although he couldn't fathom why._

" _Draco," Voldemort's shrill voice rang out, "your father believes it is time for you to make your allegiance…official."_

 _Draco inhaled sharply as all in attendance began to whisper excitedly. He went to open his mouth without thinking, to object, but he found it sealed shut. Ironically, his father also disapproved of his silence, but for an entirely different reason._

" _Draco, tell the Dark Lord how thankful you are for this opportunity."_

 _Still unable to speak, Draco remained silent._

" _Now," Lucius said, a smirk lighting his features, "or you will regret it."_

" _Itty bitty Draco afraid to speak in our master's presence!" Bellatrix shrieked._

 _Draco wanted to scream back, anything at this point; anything would be better than the silence. He realized, however, that things had long spiraled out of his control._

" _Lucius, normally I like to discipline my own followers, but I feel given the circumstances I have taught you enough to handle this."_

" _Of course, my Lord, thank you," Lucius bowed his head before fixing Draco with his hardest glare._

 _Suddenly, the rest of the room dropped away. They were in the Malfoys' dungeons, with no one to witness what was about to happen; no one to save him. Draco's anxiety consumed him as his hands shook uncontrollably and he could hear blood rushing through his ears._

" _You're a puppet," Lucius sneered, "and your performance has been less than satisfactory. Now, bow."_

 _Draco felt himself bend over unwillingly, eyes never leaving his father._

" _Much better," Lucius praised, "now, kill the mudblood."_

 _Draco had thought they were alone, but looked to the right where Skyler lay. She was staring at him intently, refusing to back down._

" _Surely, puppet, you heard me."_

 _Draco's eyes widened in shock as his wand raised to point at Skyler._

" _Weak," she spat out, and he heard Lucius chuckle darkly._

" _I am not weak," he growled, "avada kedavra!"_

 _She crumpled to the ground, and Draco turned to face his father._

 _Skyler stood in his place, as alive as Draco was._

" _Sure you are," Skyler answered his earlier statement, "you just committed murder to prove a point! That seems like someone with confidence issues, don't you think?"_

 _He raised his wand and shouted the killing curse again, and again, she crumpled._

" _Now, now, Draco, didn't father dearest teach you a politer way to disagree?"_

 _Draco spun in every direction, but couldn't find where her voice was coming from._

" _Then again, I bet he wouldn't encourage you to disagree at all. Puppets work better when they don't talk back."_

 _Draco began to run around the room desperately needing her to stop talking. She began to laugh, the noise echoing in the large space and magnified to an ear-splitting volume. It was then Draco realized he wouldn't be able to find her no matter how hard he searched; it was hopeless. He was hopeless._

Draco awoke in a cold sweat, his mind struggling to catch up to the present. _I'm in my room, in my bed. I didn't attend a Death Eater meeting nor was I just in the dungeons. Skyler does not have powers of invisibility._

Feeling a little calmer, Draco rolled over to reach into his nightstand and grab his journal. He had to write all his nightmares out, otherwise, they would replay in his head uninhibited. He opened to the next page, took out his quill that glowed so that one could write in the dark, and focused on the facts of the dream instead of how he had felt. Facts were easier to process. Draco wrote until he was sure he had covered every detail, then placed the quill and journal back into the drawer he had taken them from and then closed it. He had long ago charmed it to only open at his touch, just in case. It was still dark out, Draco had long stopped checking the time when he woke up in the middle of the night, so he rolled over in an attempt to sleep more. He knew there were several dreamless sleep in the second drawer of his nightstand, but he didn't want to become reliant on them. Although less sleep usually made him that much less pleasant, people didn't notice a difference from his normal attitude, so it worked out alright. Draco tossed and turned for a long while before giving up for the time being.

He sat up and whispered Tiki's name, patiently waiting for her to appear. It took a little longer than usual, but she was there without fail.

"Little master are you alright?"

Draco nodded, "just a touch of insomnia, Tiki, don't worry. If you could bring me some chamomile tea, though?"

Tiki nodded, not entirely convinced, but came back with a piping hot cup. Draco nodded his thanks, but the timid elf didn't leave right away.

"Sir? Tiki doesn't know if you've been keeping track of the days, sir, but…Tiki just wanted to wish sir a Happy Christmas."

Draco looked up from his cup of tea in shock. _This is only my third day back? I feel as if I've been here for weeks._

Tiki kept her eyes trained on him apprehensively and Draco realized she was waiting for a response of some sort. At a loss for anything else to say, Draco simply responded "Happy Christmas, Tiki."

She smiled at him, looking truly happy, before popping away to leave him alone with his tea and his thoughts. _That means I have seven days left in this hell hole; seven days for father to get creative._ Draco shuddered. _No, I'm not thinking of such things right now. I'll never fall back asleep that way._ Draco shifted so that he was propped up against all the pillows in his bed and stared at the steaming mug in his hands. He sipped it slowly, assuming he still had two or three hours until the sun came up. _It's Christmas; that means father's annual Holiday Gala will be this evening. It would not do well to be tired._ The Holiday Gala entailed hours of empty talk to keep up appearances; something Draco looked forward to when he was younger. Now it was just exhausting to laugh at the right times in an effort to make his father look good. Not that anyone would dare to say a bad word against his father with the amount of power he held. _Although, it will be a welcome distraction._ Sufficiently sidetracked from his earlier nightmare, Draco finished the last of his tea and set the empty cup on the nightstand. Rolling over, he drifted to sleep to treasure the last few hours he had in his bed.

xXx

Draco popped awake at 7:30 knowing it would be time for breakfast soon. He got up to brush his teeth and heal any residual injuries, to look presentable for the gala, then dressed in his signature dress shirt and slacks. He went downstairs with no hesitations, his father was bound to be pleasant due to the upcoming dance, and entered the kitchen to find his mother eating a bowl of oatmeal. He grabbed a plate of toast and eggs off the table, _stasis charms are a lifesaver_ , and sat next to his mother. The silence pressed on for a few minutes, slightly uncomfortable, before Narcissa raised her eyes to face her son.

"Draco, I trust you remember today's plans?"

"Yes, mother."  
"I'll see to it that a house elf brings up your dress robes. Guests will arrive at five, please be ready for 4:30."

Draco nodded again, recognizing the end of the conversation, and finished his food quickly. Finishing by 8, that left him several hours to brew before he had to get ready. Draco left the room before his mom could continue the conversation and made his way to the potions lab. He wanted to brew some draught of peace while he had some time. Both the trip to the lab and his time brewing were uneventful; he managed to brew 6 draught of peace uninterrupted. Casting a quick tempus charm told him it was 3pm, so he finished the potion he was working on then headed to shower. Stepping into the shower, Draco sighed as the hot water hit him. _Nothing feels better than breathing in steam as hot water hits your skin._ He just stood in the shower for a few minutes, soaking up the calm, before actually washing his hair and body. Upon exiting the shower, he noticed his dress robes had been set out for him. He dried his hair, and shaved his face, with a flick of his wand and put on the dress clothes he had been wearing earlier to go under his robes. Checking the time, Draco realized he was due downstairs any minute, so he summoned all his courage and strode out the door, taking extra care to make sure his icy façade was firmly in place.

He strode into the entry hall to take his place by his mother, with his father on her other side. Draco and his mother made polite small talk while waiting for their guests to arrive, but the entire time, Draco could feel Lucius' eyes boring into him. Draco could practically hear him screaming _don't embarrass me tonight._

As the guests began to fill the hall, all thoughts of Lucius were temporarily wiped from Draco's mind. Numerous prestigious families filtered past as the Malfoys welcomed each to their home one by one. After many fake smiles, the group made their way to the dining room, which had transformed from the usual awkward 3-chair set up to a spectacular Christmas scene. Mistletoe hung from the ceiling above a splendid red tablecloth topped with bright, blooming poinsettas and dozens of dining chairs. Additionally, the table was decked out with brilliant silver and gold plates and utensils while outside snow could be seen falling; the house elves had charmed the windows. The extravagance of the dining room was lost on Draco, who had grown up in this setting; the only indication he noticed anything different was the slight raise of one eyebrow. Gracefully, he took his seat, and as those around him followed suit he found himself sitting in between his mother and Pansy. As salad appeared in front of all the dinner guests, the sounds of small talk and clinking silverware filled the room.

"Anyways, so then Parvati told Padma who told Isobel who told Millicent who told Tracey who told Daphne who told me and now I'm telling you…"

 _She's like a miniature of my mother; forever the gossip. How dreadfully boring._

"and so she threw up all over him! Can you BELIEVE it?"

Taking it as a cute to laugh, Draco chuckled briefly while raising an eyebrow in what he hoped to be an amused expression. _It's a wonder we're considered friends after 5 years of this._

Pansy smirked, satisfied her story had amused him, and continued on filling him in on the drama he had missed over break thus far. His friends were aware his father was particular about the mail Draco sent in and out of the house; demanding Draco spend his time in productive ways instead of meaningless exchanges with his so-called friends. They did not know the extent to which he paid for disobeying this rule, but he didn't enjoy the meaningless chatter anyways. Pansy was the only one of his friends that did not take a hint well, Crabbe and Goyle were on a whole other level of stupid.

Amazingly they were already on the main course, lamb or steak depending on the guests' preference. Draco was in the process of cutting his steak when Lucius tapped his glass with his knife to get everyone's attention.

"I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for joining us this evening. It's families like ours that continue to keep the wizarding world pure and strong. I know that, someday, our morals will shine through the darkness we find ourselves in currently. Take courage in knowing that, soon, sooner than you think, pureblood families will reign supreme once more. A movement will begin."

Draco froze. He heard the threat in those words. _Voldemort is planning something big that he has only entrusted father with so far, which is why he feels the need to flaunt it._

Lucius smiled at his guests, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, before concluding his speech, "let us raise our glasses… to a brighter future. The sooner the better."

 _It's ironic he's using all these metaphors for light and dark when we all know full and well we are on the dark side._

Nevertheless, Lucius' speech was met with resounding cheers and smiles as the present company raised their glasses, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic (Draco's was alcoholic; no one dared question him on it), to the sentiment they all believed so wholeheartedly. Draco went through the movements robotically, but his mind was a million miles away—no matter what plan Voldemort had entrusted Lucius with, it would not be good news for many. Disgusted, Draco sneered to himself _since when do I care about what happens to anyone besides myself?_ He, unfortunately, also had the answer: _since I also now seem to play a direct role in their torture. So it's self-preservation._ He somehow knew that wasn't the entire truth, though.

The rest of the meal flew by in a flurry of excitement; the room had seemingly become charged by Lucius' speech. As the last of dessert was scraped from people's plates, Lucius encouraged his guests to move into the ballroom for more refreshments and the chance to socialize further. Chairs were pushed back as the mass of guests moved their way to the next room, Draco telling Pansy he would join her in a second. He wasn't sure if it was the firewhiskey coursing through his veins, but he stood up and approached his father, braver due to the many witnesses around.

"So, father, it seems you are directly involved with something…revolutionary?" He might as well stroke his ego.

"Ah, Draco, I should've known you would pick up on subtext; intelligence is genetic, after all. Yes, it appears I have been entrusted with a plan so important, so _essential_ to the uprising of our," he glanced around to make sure no one unwelcome was eavesdropping, " _Dark Lord_ that there was no one else to possibly be trusted save for myself."

 _Well, father's clearly drunk. Off power or alcohol, I'm not entirely sure._

Draco merely smiled in response while a feeling of dread settled in his stomach, growing by the second.

"I only hope that one day you'll see fit to join me, Draco. The kind of advantages a position like mine can get you in life should not be considered lightly."

Draco nodded again, which seemed to satisfy his father, who threw an arm around Draco's shoulder in what most would see as a fatherly display of affection. Draco knew better and saw the act for what it was: possessive. A chill went down his spine as Draco looked around and noticed the room was now entirely empty. He had not meant for this to happen.

"After all, if you don't join his legions, people might talk; the Malfoy name is not to be sullied by your cowardice."

Draco felt like he was on a train hurtling down the tracks towards a cliff that ended in a 50 foot drop into darkness.

"Did you hear me, Draco," his father purred into his ear, "or should I make myself clear?"

Draco was paralyzed by fear. _This cannot be happening. Not here, with my peers and their families one room away. Everyone will know; will think less of me. They'll think I'm not worthy of the last name Malfoy._

Draco's silence earned him a slap across the face.

"Answer. Me."

Draco swallowed thickly before nodding, "I heard you, sir."

Lucius snarled, "that's wonderful, Draco, I'm glad to know you're simply dumb and not dumb and deaf. However, I believe I asked you a question pertaining to your future allegiance to the Dark Lord, did I not?"

Draco pondered how to handle this situation. _I could tell him I have full intentions of joining him and avoid punishment now, but be crucified later if I go back on my word. Or, I could say no and be crucified now and later…or I could be ambiguous._

"Of course, father, I realize the importance of establishing the right connections. Neither of us want to see the Malfoy name, or loyalty, questioned."

Lucius' face remained impassive for several long seconds as he considered Draco's words. Soon enough, however, a smile broke out onto his face and he eerily resembled the Cheshire cat. The expected relief Draco expected to hit him didn't come; anxiety continued to claw its way up his throat.

"Excellent, Draco, I knew you'd see things my way. Now, I've been away from our guests for far too long, if you'll excuse me."

With one last squeeze of Draco's shoulders, _which are sure to be bruised_ he thought bitterly, Lucius swept from the room, dress robes billowing behind him.

With Lucius gone, Draco couldn't stop the anxiety that had been threatening to swallow him whole. He darted from the dining room, and finding it hard to breathe, rushed straight outside. He ran from the Manor and wasn't aware his feet had carried him to an old bench in the garden until he was sitting on it. The air was freezing, and had felt good for a millisecond, but it had done nothing to help his breathing. This was worse than the Cruciatus and he willed whatever was sucking the oxygen out of the air to stop. It was no use; the flowers, silhouetted by moonlight, began to spin and Draco audibly moaned as he held his head in his hands. He was trembling violently now, although he didn't think it was due to the temperature, and he felt like he was literally going to shake apart. His skin would split apart at his joints and his organs and bones would come pouring out of him as if he were the victim of a particularly nasty dark spell. His ragged breathing turned to desperate choking and he was quite certain he was about to die, when a quiet voice cut through the chaos.

"Shh, Draco. You need to breathe."

If Draco had had oxygen to spare, he would have laughed at its absurdity: _don't you think I'm trying?_ But he didn't have the oxygen to laugh, or to snap at the mystery voice, or to think at all.

So, he choked out, "I can't."

"Yes, I promise, you can," it continued, as he felt someone sit down on the bench next to him, "just follow me, alright?"

At this point, Draco would have sold his soul for this feeling to stop, so he nodded his headed slightly and the voice began to direct him.

"In…out…in…out…"

They continued like this for a while, Draco's first attempts unsuccessful, but the voice never complained and never lost patience. The mystery person also kept a hand on Draco's back, rubbing calming circles. Normally Draco hated physical contact, but appreciated the anchor while everything else swirled around him. When Draco's breathing finally returned to normal, he felt tears begin to burn in his eyes, so he didn't look up at the person next to him even though he could feel eyes on him. He couldn't bear it the humiliation of looking up.

So, continuing to look down, Draco stated "you shouldn't be out here."

He meant for it to be a sneer, to scare whoever it was away, but the statement was void of any emotion whatsoever.

"Neither should you."

Draco rubbed at his eyes, willing his emotions back into the tiny box he locked them in.

"I mean it. You could get in serious trouble."

"Mhmm."

Out of protests, which showed just how exhausted he was, Draco continued to keep his head in his hands while the hand rubbed his back. They stayed this way for a while, the witch or wizard next to him having cast warming charms on both their clothes some time ago. But it was okay, because for the first time in a long time, Draco's mind was numb to all his worries, and he wasn't eager for this feeling to go away.

A/N: Hi all! I know this chapter is a tad late, but it's longer than usual! Also, let me know who you think helped Draco! Your reviews really mean a lot. (I also want to make clear that I will continue to keep Draco in character to the best of my ability, so there won't be any lifechanging relationships any time soon!)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hi! So, this story really hasn't gotten too many reviews/alerts, so I'm not sure if people like it or not. That's why it took me so long to get around to writing this chapter. SO, if you do like this story/want it to continue, please let me know because at this rate I feel like it's not worth all the effort I've been putting in. Thanks!**

 _ **Earlier that evening…**_

Astoria Greengrass did not like to be called a princess. Her sister, Daphne, enjoyed the frills and lace enough for the both of them. She was not immune, however, to the lure of a ball. It was times like these she allowed herself to become Daphne's doll; her brown curls pinned to the top of her head, loose strands framing her pale face. Her makeup accentuated her delicate features and tamed her freckles; she couldn't help but feel like she was wearing the mask of a prettier girl. She looked enough like her sister for everyone to acknowledge Daphne as the prettier one; the Greengrass' legacy. Astoria was always the misfit; the Ravenclaw in a family of Slytherins. On nights like tonight, however, Astoria left Daphne's shadow and thoroughly enjoyed herself. When they greeted their fellow purebloods, people saw her as an equal. It was easy to lose herself in the disguise.

The Malfoys' annual Christmas dinner was well-anticipated by all those dignified to make the guest list. Daphne and Astoria had spent the entire day getting ready and picking out the perfect outfits. Astoria wore a sky blue, floor length, strapless dress she borrowed from Daphne, while Daphne wore an off-the-shoulder black dress that reached her knee. Dressing up was fun on occasion, but tonight it was also to make the Greengrass' look good. When in the company of the most elite of the wizarding world, it does well to make one look elite themselves.

Astoria made pleasant small talk to various members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight before being seated for dinner. She listened to her sister excitedly ramble about Theodore Nott's failing relationship, she had an affinity for people she couldn't have, as she played with the food on her plate. Moments later, Lucius raised his glass and rattled off a toast that, although met with applause, left a hollow feeling inside her chest. She didn't agree with pureblood ideals, a great source of disappointment to her parents, but as long as she didn't vocalize these doubts her parents didn't bother her about it. They felt she had already been punished enough.

As everyone finished dessert, and were ushered into the next room, Astoria was more than happy to leave the foreboding air the room had taken on ever since Lucius' speech began. She followed Daphne out of the room, only to see a pout appear on her sister's face.

"I left my lip-gloss in there, could you please get it for me? It must've rolled under the table."

Astoria, not one to say no easily, smiled at her sister before turning on her heels and reentering the room. Checking under the chair and not finding anything, Astoria resorted to crawling under the table to look. _No wonder Daphne didn't get it herself._ After a few seconds she found it, and went to poke her head out from under the draping tablecloth, when she noticed how quiet the room had gotten. Quiet except for one voice.

"After all, if you don't join his legions, people might talk; the Malfoy name is not to be sullied by your cowardice."

 _Malfoy name…what problem could Lucius have with Draco? He's the perfect pureblood; stuck up, arrogant, bigoted…_

Slap.

The sharp sound echoed around the room and Astoria's hand flew up to her mouth. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. _No one should be treated that way. Maybe he's not as aloof as he seems._

"Answer. Me."

 _Draco's only a fifth year, Lucius can't possibly want to thrust his only son into he-who-must-not-be-named's hands?_

"I heard you, sir."

"That's wonderful, Draco, I'm glad to know you're simply dumb and not dumb and deaf. However, I believe I asked you a question pertaining to your future allegiance to the Dark Lord, did I not?"

Astoria's heartbeat picked up. This could not end well.

"Of course, father, I realize the importance of establishing the right connections. Neither of us want to see the Malfoy name, or loyalty, questioned."

 _Am I actually hearing this right now? Draco's agreeing to be a death eater…he can't be older than 15._

"Excellent, Draco, I knew you'd see things my way. Now, I've been away from our guests for far too long, if you'll excuse me."

She heard one pair of footsteps walk dangerously close to her before exiting the room, but did not hear Draco move. _I have to say something, anything to him. He can't think that's his only option. He has to know he's not alone._ Just as she found the courage to crawl out from under the table, she heard Draco sprint from the room. _Ugh._

She slowly crawled from under the table, then stood, dusting herself off. She could pretend she hadn't heard the exchange, since no one knew she had been in the room, and get back to the party. Or, she could wander around the home of a known death eater in search of his son who also just pledged his allegiance…

Steeling herself, she exited the dining room and wondered where to go next. _So he ran from the room, clearly upset. He wouldn't have thought about how he was drawing attention to himself, going for the first possible exit…_ that's when it hit her. He must have run outside. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Astoria pointed her wand and whispered _accio cloak_ , causing her cloak to rush towards her, and crept outside. Once she was outside, however, she realized she didn't have much of an idea of where to go now. At that moment a house elf appeared, startling Astoria so violently she fell backwards into a snow bank. Luckily her cloak was charmed to repel the elements, snow included.

The house elf looked terrified to have surprised Astoria, and wrung her hands tightly as she said, "if miss is looking for Master Malfoy, she would find him to the left, in the back gardens."

Astoria nodded her thanks as she ran off to the left, worried what would happen if she didn't find Draco sooner rather than later. As she approached the back gardens, she saw a lone figure on a bench and slowed her footsteps so she wouldn't alert him to her presence. Once she got closer, however, she realized this wouldn't be a problem because Draco was far beyond noticing his surroundings. He was gasping for breath, practically choking, and shaking horribly, although Astoria had a feeling it had nothing to do with the cold. She closed the distance between them, desperate to help him, but not wanting to push her luck.

She knew she had to get him to calm down before anything else could be done. So, in the calmest voice she could muster, she coaxed, "shh, Draco. You need to breathe."

Silence pressed on, and Astoria almost repeated herself, when a desperate plea reached her ears, "I can't."

She decided it was important to sound more confident than she was. "Yes, I promise, you can," she continued, as she sat down on the bench next to him, "just follow me, alright?"

She took his silence for agreement, so she began to vocalize a slower breathing pattern.

"In…out…in…out…"

She repeated this slowly for a while, and although it seemed to make no difference at first, Draco slowly but surely began to take more even breaths. Not sure why she did it, Astoria began to rub circles on his back, hoping it would help him to have something else to focus on. After several long minutes Draco's breathing had returned to normal, although he didn't raise his head from his hands, elbows still propped up on his knees. Astoria continued to rub his back, not wanting to interrupt whatever he was thinking. She was glad she could help him. She cast a warming charm on both his and her clothes because she wasn't sure how long they would be out here. Not that she minded.

"You shouldn't be out here."

The emptiness in his voice unsettled her; it lacked its usual derision.

Not sure how to respond, she uttered "neither should you."

Draco rubbed at his eyes tiredly and Astoria could tell he was struggling with something.

"I mean it. You could get in serious trouble."

 _He's trying to protect me?_ Astoria wasn't sure how she felt about that, either.

"Mhmm."

He seemed to be out of protests against her presence and Astoria was silently thankful for this. No longer enthralled with the idea of parading around the party like a puppet, Astoria realized she would be content to sit here as long as he needed her to.

 _ **Back to present…**_

Draco would have never ended the silence. If he could package it, if it were a tangible thing, he would wrap it up tight and never let go. Reality was crashing back towards him, however, and he knew he had to face it sooner rather than later. Exhaustion making him feel extra heavy, he lifted his eyes to view whoever was next to him. Whoever he had been expecting, it wasn't her. She was breathtakingly beautiful, to put it simply. Draco racked his brain trying to figure out who she was. _I have been attending these parties with the same people since the day I was born. There's no way I don't know her._ Suddenly, he was aware he was staring intensely, so he chose instead to look at his feet, awkwardly clearing his throat.

"Are you alright?"

 _That blasted question._

"I guess that's a rather stupid thing to say, of course you're not…"

Draco was surprised at the concern on her face, but he was also uncomfortable with the whole situation. He was now painfully aware she had just witnessed his complete mental breakdown.

"Thanks for…uh, thanks for…even though, you know, it's…so…cold."

The witch started giggling at his stuttering and Draco felt a flash of annoyance. He was a Malfoy; not something to be laughed at. But just as soon as it appeared, it was gone; he didn't have it in himself to sustain the emotion.

"Don't worry about it, Draco."

 _She knows who I am. I have to figure out who this girl is to make sure she doesn't spread this._

"Is anyone up there going to miss you?"

She thought about it for a moment, before responding, "probably not. What about you? It's your party."

"Well, since they haven't noticed yet, I doubt they'll miss me for a little longer."

She seemed to want to say more to this, but didn't. He turned to face her, now aware that he was staring, but he couldn't help it.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" she questioned.

"Talk about what?" he said quickly, procrastinating slightly. If she noticed, she didn't say anything.

"About why you were upset."

He assumed his facial expression changed to slightly murderous, because she added, "only if you want to, though."

He mulled this over. He didn't, at all, want to talk about his father. He also, however, didn't want to go back inside.

"How about we talk about you?"

If she was surprised, she didn't show it. _She has a good handle on her emotions._

"What about me?"

He didn't want to ask her anything she could potentially flip on him, so he settled on "your favorite subject," since he assumed she was a student at Hogwarts.

Her eyes lit up, "astronomy, definitely."

Draco actually snorted, "seriously?"

"Yes! I love the stars and planets.."

"What do you even do with that?"

She looked a little hurt but said, "I'm only in my third year, I'm not worried about that yet."

"You're only 13?"

"No, I'm 14," she said, "my birthday's in November."

Draco nodded, adding on "only one year younger than me."

They both understood, however, that living in their world aged them much faster.

"What's your favorite subject?"

"Potions, definitely."

Now it was her turn to look appalled, "Snape's a git! How could you possibly consider his subject your favorite."

"Snape's my godfather," he said curtly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

He wasn't really listening; he was used to people disliking his godfather. Besides, if he'd been busy being offended he would've missed the huge clue she'd just given him.

"You don't like Snape? That's interesting, a Sacred Twenty-Eight not in Slytherin…"

She regarded him slowly, before saying, "I know, I've heard it before. I'm in Ravenclaw."

He felt bad suddenly for bringing it up after all she had done to help him. "Well, Ravenclaw is definitely the next best house."

She smiled slightly, before adding, "tell that to my parents. It's hard enough being the younger sibling to Daph, the perfect, Slytherin daughter."

It clicked suddenly. _This is baby Greengrass. God, I didn't even realize she was old enough for Hogwarts. She looks so grown up._

Draco just nodded, still processing the fact that Astoria was sitting here with him.

"You know, Draco," she said thoughtfully, "you can talk to me, whenever."

He didn't answer right away, so she added, "I'm told I'm a good listener."

He considered her proposition. He didn't want to talk to her at this moment, but he wasn't sure he would last the rest of Christmas break with no one to talk to. Besides, she was a marked improvement on his other so-called friends.

"Yeah, maybe…thanks, Astoria."

She beamed back at him, and he knew instantly that he had made the right decision.

"Of course, Draco."

They sat in silence for a moment, able to see people dancing still, silhouetted in the window. They watched until only a few figures were left, twirling to imaginary music, before Astoria cut through the silence.

"We should probably get back up there."

Draco knew she was right, but he didn't want to admit it. He dreaded that his earlier conversation with his father wasn't over, but she had done enough for him for today.

"You're right."

Draco stood, legs numb after sitting for so long, as he offered his hand to Astoria. She accepted, blushing slightly, as they walked hand in hand back towards the Manor. As they reached the front door, Draco dropped Astoria's hand to open the front door for her. The pair walked inside and Draco undid the warming charms on their clothes. They went to walk towards the ballroom, but were met several feet from the front door by Lucius.

"Ah, Draco, how nice of you to join us," he purred, completely overlooking Astoria, "care to tell me where you've been for the last hour?"

Draco gulped, but before he had time to invent an excuse, Astoria cut in, "sorry, sir, it was my fault. I didn't feel well and Draco offered to escort me outside for some fresh air. He really is quite the gentleman."

Draco had never been more thankful for anyone; Lucius' shoulders immediately relaxed and a genuine smile appeared.

"How thoughtful of you, Draco, I knew we raised you well. Please see to it that Astoria receives any potion she might be requiring."

Draco nodded, and with that, Lucius swept back toward the ballroom. Astoria smiled shyly, and Draco found that he was running out of ways to thank her.

He was about to try, when anything he might have said was interrupted by the arrival of Daphne.

"Tori, I looked everywhere for you! I needed my lip-gloss like, forever ago." She cast a look to Draco before saying, "Nott was flirting with me all night and now he's left. I needed you! Where were you?"

Seeing his opportunity, since Astoria was now at a loss for words, Draco jumped in, "she was indulging me, Daph, I had a headache and needed to get away from the music for a bit."

Daphne seemed to find this odd, but didn't get the chance to comment on it, as the last of the guests filtered from the ballroom to the front door, the Greengrass' parents among them. Draco got the chance to say a rushed goodbye before the girls were whisked away, and Draco was left alone with his parents.

"Well, what a lovely evening," Narcissa said with a smile, "I'd say we should all go to bed, no?"

Draco nodded, he was beyond exhausted, and Lucius nodded, too.

Draco wished his parents goodnight and climbed up the stairs, the day had been eventful, but not completely horrible. He entered his room, tired but content, and the first thing he noticed was the large stack of presents he had overlooked this morning. He knew an overwhelming majority would be from his parents, who loved to endlessly try to buy his affection for them, so he ignored the well-wrapped, glossy packages to examine who else would send him presents. There was one from Severus, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and…Tiki? He ripped into Tiki's present and discovered a small vial of acromantula venom. _How the hell did she get that? It's so rare._ He made a mental note to thank her tomorrow. Reaching for Pansy's present, he remembered that he abandoned her after his father had gotten mad. _I'm sure she'll be pissed. I'll have to owl her tomorrow and apologize._ The thought exhausted him further, so he decided to go to bed and save opening the rest of the presents for tomorrow morning.

He got ready for bed quickly, shedding his dress robes before changing into sweatpants and a t-shirt. He climbed into bed, and his thoughts turned to Astoria. _Maybe I can owl her tomorrow, too. Maybe I can…talk to her about things on paper._ At that thought, he had an immediate desire to push her away, like he always did when people showed him compassion. _This time will be different,_ he promised himself. _She seems patient, and as long as I don't do anything incredibly stupid, I think she could be a friend._ Comforted by this thought, even if it didn't really work out, Draco was able to fall asleep peacefully for the first time in a long time.


	7. Chapter 7

Draco awoke slowly at first, but upon remembering the events of last night, he sat up quickly. _I've really gotten myself into it this time._ He rubbed his eyes as the stack of ignored presents came into focus. _Right._ He rolled his shoulders, cracked his knuckles, and then swung his feet over the side of the bed. Looking out the window told him the sun was just rising, which meant it was around 7am. He approached the pile of presents and then paused to see if he could hear his parents. Satisfied all was quiet, Draco began unwrapping. He got potions ingredients and various wizard's treats from Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade from his friends, some new books from his mother (he was sure his father hadn't approved of), and a new winter cloak from both his parents. He put all his presents away in his wardrobe and put the new potion ingredients in his trunk to take back to school. He knew his father had no issue restocking his own ingredients, so he figured he'd save his own for Severus' class. With the presents sorted, he realized he still owed Pansy an explanation for disappearing last night. Groaning a little, he took some parchment and wrote quickly how he had felt ill after dinner and hadn't wanted to expose her to anything. He knew playing it off as concern for her would appeal to her more than pitying himself. Signing off with yet another apology, he cast a subtle cheering charm on the parchment to speed up her forgiveness of him.  
"Tiki," he said, voice a little hoarse from last night's antics, "come here."  
She appeared in a flash, slightly concerned after witnessing him flee the manor the previous night.  
"Yes, little Master?"  
"I need you to send this letter off for me. Send the…prettiest owl we have."  
Tiki looked slightly confused before saying "of course, sir", but Draco could tell she was struggling to hold back a grin.  
"Thanks, Tiki. Thanks for the present, too. Acromantula venom is quite rare, how did you manage to get your hands on it?"  
Tiki beamed at the recognition before saying, "it was no problem at all, sir! Tiki is knowing of some elves who were more than happy to help her out."  
Draco smirked at the elf's vagueness, he assumed she didn't want to get her contact into trouble and so he didn't question her further.  
"Fascinating, truly," he said with fake indifference, but he could tell she didn't buy it. She nodded once, and with note in hand, snapped her fingers and vanished.  
Draco shook his head and sighed. Moments later, however, Tiki reappeared wringing her hands.  
Draco raised an eyebrow, not sure what else she was expecting but not wanting to be rude, he owed the elf a lot.  
"Master Malfoy wishes to see you downstairs, sir."  
Draco felt his heart rate pick up slightly, but it wasn't enough to interfere with his image. "For any particular reason?" he drawled.  
Tiki shrugged slightly, before adding "Mistress is present, too."  
Draco felt a little relief at those words". I'm not sure what matter would concern the both of them. Draco nodded his thanks and left the room before he could overthink the request anymore.  
Breezing down the stairs, Draco took care to put his mask into place. He found that when he felt he had to exude cool confidence, he tricked himself into feeling it. He assumed his parents would be in the study and didn't allow himself to hesitate before the door. Hesitation was weakness and he would not allow that today.  
Stepping into the study, Draco found his father seated and his mother standing off his shoulder. "At least he can't make any surprise moves seated behind his desk. Draco nodded in greeting to both his parents before smoothly walking over to the chair across his father's. He took his time settling into it, aware of his father's eyes watching his every movement. His mother radiated a cool indifference. He was sure this wasn't about his disappearance last night; his mother definitely had not noticed due to the socializations of the night and his father had been impressed by Astoria's excuse.  
The silence pressed for a few long seconds, but Draco did not want to be the one to break it. He stared evenly back at his father, waiting for an explanation. They didn't often have scheduled family meetings, and although his memories of past incidents in this room were suffocating him, he was determined not to let it show. _I've done nothing to upset him. This must concern something besides me, or mother would not be involved._ _  
_"Draco," Lucius purred, finally breaking the silence, "did you enjoy the formalities last night?"  
Draco nodded, not missing a beat. "Of course, sir. I thought the evening went quite well. Were you pleased?" He learned that flipping the conversation back to his father took the attention off himself.  
"I would agree, the party was quite a success. Pity, though, Miss. Parkinson seemed awfully distressed by your absence for the second half of the evening."  
"Oh, enough small talk already," Narcissa cut in, never one to spend more time with her family than necessary if it was not serving to improve her reputation. "Get on with it, Lucius."  
Lucius' lips formed into a tight smile at Narcissa's interruption. He liked to be the one in control and did not appreciate his wife's clipped tone. He flicked his eyes to the side, regarding her, as he drawled "patience, Narcissa."  
She made no move to reply so Lucius turned his attention back to Draco. "Very well. We received an interesting request of you last night, Draco."  
Draco blinked, but did not try to fill in an answer. He had no idea what his father was alluding to and knew he would find out shortly anyways, so he saved his breath.  
Lucius sighed before continuing. "We know how you've been neglecting your studies since you arrived home," he began, his tight expression twitching into something akin to a smirk.  
Draco went to object, but Lucius held up a finger to silence him, so Draco decided not to cause more trouble than necessary. Lucius took his silence for agreement.  
"It was brought to our attention last night that one of your fellow students has been struggling with.. certain material at Hogwarts."  
Draco's interest was piqued. A Sacred Twenty-Eight who was willing to admit they needed help? He nodded to show he was listening.  
"You see, her parents are quite concerned she'll fall behind. When they told us of their plight we immediately boasted about your advanced skill in Potions, and it was agreed by both sides that tutoring would help both parties. You help this student, while also giving you something to do besides rot away over break."  
Draco resented the implication he needed to be kept busy, but then considered the rest of his father's words. A Sacred Twenty-Eight, struggling with potions… _oh no._  
Draco put it together at the same time Narcissa moved to elaborate. "Tutoring Astoria will give our family a chance to build an alliance with the Greengrass family. Her Ravenclaw residence is a sore spot for the family, and hopefully your presence will have a positive impact. Play your part, Draco, and you will be rewarded."  
Lucius saw this as a chance to cut in. He stood from his seat slightly, put both hands on his desk, and leaned over until he was inches from Draco's face. "If you manage to mess this up, however…"  
Lucius let the threat hang in the air. The unfinished sentence was more powerful; Draco had a list of memories he could use to fill in. He was determined not to let his father get to him.  
"Of course, I will be happy to help in the development of a relationship between us and the Greengrass family." Draco finally answered, although it was really his only option. _Not that I have any resentment toward helping her_ , he thought, _I'm just not sure how I can help her._  
"Excellent!" Narcissa remarked. "Since only a week remains in your break, you will meet for two hours every other day to catch her up. Once school starts we can discuss what form the tutoring will take."  
Draco nodded again. "When will we start?"  
"3pm."  
Draco paused, then asked, "today?"  
"Yes, Draco, unless that'll be a problem for you?"  
"No, sir, of course not." Draco should've known there would be a catch.  
"I thought so," Lucius said quietly. "Seeing as it is already 9:00am, I think it would be wise if you started to prepare for your day. You should be ready for Astoria's arrival by 1:30 and you should invite her to dinner afterwards."  
Draco nodded slowly, now a bit preoccupied. _What am I even going to say to Astoria? How am I supposed to act?_  
He realized both his parents were staring at him expectantly. _Right, I've been dismissed_. Draco nodded again, stood up, and left to go eat breakfast. He was confident he could take on 3rd year potions work, and if he couldn't, he would just tell Severus he was helping Astoria, which would raise her grade anyways. He was more bothered by how he had last left things with Astoria. He hadn't even gotten the chance to thank her properly once he got inside. _Is she expecting me to thank her now?_ Draco let out a long sigh. He was not good with things like gratitude.  
He arrived in the kitchen to see Tiki had already made him a plate. He ate without paying too much attention to what was actually on his plate. He figured the best way to prepare was to look through his old notes, but beyond that, he was just going to wait and see what she needed help with. Finishing his meal, he left the kitchen and headed back upstairs to get ready. He showered, got dressed, and was interrupted by a tapping on the window. An owl flew in, with a piece of parchment attached to its foot. Already knowing what he was about to read, Draco opened the note with little interest.  
 _Draco,_ _  
_ _I must admit I was SO upset because I thought you abandoned me, but then I thought back to dinner and realized you had started looking ill at the end. It was so sweet of you to save me the pain of exposure! You really do know what's best for me. I miss you already and can't wait to fill you in on everything you missed during the second half of the evening. Two words: dra-ma!_ _  
_ _Yours,_ _  
_ _Pansy_  
Draco mulled over the letter for a second. "She's so…simple. Shrugging slightly, he tossed the letter in his trash can and sent the owl back out the window. He didn't care what Pansy had to fill him in on, he just needed to make sure their friendship was still intact. His parents were quite fond of her and he needed whatever strategies he could to win them over.  
Approaching his school trunk, he dug through it and found his notes from the 3rd year. Girding potion, confusion concoction, shrinking solution, and undetectable poisons. _All interesting_. He wasn't sure exactly how he was going to help her with this, again, but he would find out soon enough. He was leaving his room to go downstairs when he caught his own eye in his reflection.  
His cheek was slightly purple from where his father had slapped him the night before. He summoned a cream from the bathroom without thinking and applied it to the spot. Seconds later, the spot vanished, and he looked normal. He looked into his own eyes for a minute, watching his face become impassive, before strolling from the room and heading downstairs. He passed the time pacing in their entryway, but before he knew it there was a knock at the door and Tiki had appeared to answer it.  
"Hello, miss and little miss, is it Master Draco that you is here to see?"  
The voice on the other side of the door said something, causing Tiki to bow lowly, as Astoria and her mother entered the house.  
"Ah, Draco, long time no see," Mrs. Greengrass cooed, "thanks again for agreeing to tutor our Astoria. We can't express our gratitude enough."  
Draco smirked slightly before replying, "it's no trouble at all, Mrs. Greengrass. I look forward to the opportunity to improve my own skills as well."  
"Such a gentleman!" Mrs. Greengrass roared, but Astoria was still staring at him, unblinking, as she had been when she first entered the room. Draco tried not to focus on it as he heard his own mother walk in.  
"Faye, how lovely to see you again so soon!" Narcissa exclaimed, taking Mrs. Greengrass by the arm. "Please come on in, can I get you a cup of tea?"  
The two mothers continued their small talk until they were out of earshot, leaving Draco and Astoria alone.  
"So, Astoria, we can go upstairs if you'd like?" Draco asked, one eyebrow raised in interest at the small girl.  
She nodded and followed him upstairs. The two didn't talk until they entered Draco's potions lab. He was sure they'd be left alone here. Once he shut the door behind him, he turned to regard baby Greengrass more closely. Although she looked much younger without the dress and makeup, she had a certain weariness about her…her eyes looked much older than the rest of her body. Realizing he was staring, he shook his head slightly. Now was not the time to freak the girl out.  
"So," he started at the same time she went to say "well-".  
They both laughed slightly at the awkwardness, and she took the chance to say "you first".  
"Well, what do you need help with?"  
She considered him for a moment before answering, "I don't, really."  
He just blinked at her. "What?  
"I understand all the material," she went on to say, "but Snape won't give me full marks because I refuse to put up with his antics."  
Draco raised an eyebrow at that. "So what, pray tell, is my role here?"  
She shrugged slightly and said, "I figured having you tutor me would force Snape to give me higher grades, considering you're his godson."  
 _How…cunning._ _  
_"I thought of this all before last night, of course" she said hurriedly, as if she was afraid she was hurting his feelings.  
"It doesn't matter to me," he said, instead of addressing the events of the previous night.  
There was a brief, uncomfortable silence before she tried again. "About last night…"  
 _This can't be happening right now,_ Draco thought to himself, _my father could be listening. This could all be one big trap to test my allegiance to him. See if I tell the innocent girl. Well, I'll show him._  
"Astoria," Draco drawled, purposely being a little louder than necessary, "I already told you I was happy to help with your headache. There is no need to express your gratitude again."  
She looked around, as if searching for a reason why he would raise his voice. _Well of course she wouldn't understand having to hide in your own home_ , he thought bitterly, _her parents accept her for the Ravenclaw she is._ _  
_"So, enough of that," he said with a note of finality, "let's get started on the work you brought."  
It ended up being an essay on the history of shrinking solutions. Astoria wrote tirelessly as Draco rattled off a fact here and there to sound like he was contributing, but he could see what she meant earlier. His presence was not helping Astoria at all and he wasn't entirely convinced about her earlier claim to only be here in an attempt to get on Snape's good side. _I need to find out more information about this girl._ _  
_"Let's take a break," Draco suggested about an hour into their session. Astoria finished her sentence without looking up, and then set her quill down.  
"Alright. What do you suggest?"  
"A question for a question. It occurs to me how little I know about you, baby Greengrass."  
Astoria made a face. "Let's start with how much I dislike that nickname."  
Draco nodded, aware it was a childish thing to say, but it did tell him about how Astoria felt being compared to Daphne.  
"Alright, me first," Astoria said, catching Draco by surprise. "Why do you have so many dreamless sleep potions on that shelf over there?"  
Draco did his best not to whip his head around to face the direction she indicated. _Shit._ Carefully deciding how to answer, he realized he couldn't lie this early on and expect truthful answers in return. "To avoid nightmares that may come my way," he answered evasively. "Do you prefer Hogwarts or being home?" he asked her.  
"Hogwarts," Astoria answered without hesitation. That was interesting, too. _Maybe her parents aren't as happy with her as she pretends._ He wasn't dumb enough to believe that parents weren't what they appeared to be in public. _  
_"Why were you outside last night?" she questioned, and Draco felt a flare of annoyance at her stubbornness, but he also felt something different…like he couldn't believe Astoria actually cared enough to ask more than once.  
Nevertheless, he couldn't comply to her will on this matter. "I think I already made it clear that I was helping you with your headache," Draco said darkly, "but I'll let you ask another question instead."  
Astoria nodded thoughtfully before asking, "do you like Snape?"  
Draco thought about it before answering, "I am not blind to his faults, but he is my godfather." Again, he didn't commit to a yes or a no.  
"Do you wish you were a Slytherin?"  
"Not really, no," she answered. "Why do you hate Harry Potter so much?"  
Draco scoffed, "seriously? He's stuck-up, arrogant, and contradicts everything I stand for."  
"So, you'd say your values align with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"  
Draco crossed his arms defensively as that same dark look flashed through his eyes. Instead of replying, he bit out, "let's get back to potions."  
She stared at him for a moment before nodding to herself and picking up her quill once more.  
 _Just because I hate Harry doesn't make me a Death Eater,_ he thought angrily to himself. _He's just a bloody prick, and I wouldn't mind seeing him get taken down a peg, but that's not the same as being a supporter of the Dark Lord…is it?_ _  
_For the remaining 45 minutes, Draco's leg bounced irritably as he watched Astoria write. " _The girl hardly knows me_ , he assured himself, _there was no truth to her words_. Despite this, Draco couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled on him ever since the Ravenclaw had asked her follow-up question. _I simply cannot wait to see what rash comments she proceeds to make at dinner_.

xXx

Hey guys, just wanted to add a quick shout out to Carlaeme26 for pointing out this chapter uploaded in code, sorry about that! I can't believe you read it like that and seriously appreciate the support!


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